CEAS NEWSLETTER | Issue 001
11
Alumni Corner Article provided by CSSC
Featured Alum: Lianne Aubert, ’10 BIRTHPLACE: Santiago de Cuba, Cuba CREDENTIAL EARNED: Multiple Subject Teaching with BCLAD (Bilingual Cross-cultural, Language, and Academic Development), emphasis in Spanish CURRENT OCCUPATION: 3rd grade Spanish immersion program co-teacher
What do you love most about teaching? The daily challenge and the fact that the entire population of students is made up of native English speakers whose parents decided they would learn to read in Spanish first. The best part of co-teaching is the opportunity to share ideas with my partner teacher, and the fact that I get to teach my two favorite subjects (Math and Science). I’ve been able to implement many hands-on activities in both subjects to enrich the required content, and I’m still using many of the ideas from the training I received in California during the Math sessions.
What led you to pursue a BCLAD credential? After earning a BS in Chemistry in Cuba in 1991, I worked as a college professor and lab researcher. In 1993, I moved to Venezuela to complete my graduate studies in Biotechnology of Microorganisms, then worked as a research associate until 2005, when my son was born. We then moved to the U.S. and I decided to start working in K-12 education. After working at a high school as an English Language development/English Language Learners bilingual teacher assistant, I enrolled in CSUEB’s multiple subject teaching credential program in 2008, helped later on by the Noyce Scholarship for my science background. My immediate goal is to earn my permanent credential and add the bilingual portion in Oklahoma (the state didn’t recognize my California BCLAD) and later on add a certification as a General Science or Science specialist as well as a Spanish/Single Subject teaching credential.
What advice would you offer to current teaching credential candidates? Teaching is a wonderful career, but it is also really tough. The seemingly endless testing process and applying for jobs can break you down easily. Perseverance to pursue your goals of becoming a teacher, and flexibility to take advantage of different opportunities are two important things to keep in mind, and of course faith and many prayers are needed to get the job. So far, it is worth the effort!